Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz were the two most renowned MLB legends. The MLB has witnessed fierce rivalry and controversies among players. But there are only a few examples, like A-Rod and Big Papi, who maintained a beautiful off-field relationship, despite their fierce rivalry on the field. This duo doesn’t spare each other’s baseball career when they get the chance to crack jokes. Ortiz even wished to team up with his biggest on-field rival to get the World Series Championship.
Besides their Fox Sports MLB Analyst telecast, only a few occasions feature these two legends together. However, two years back, they appeared on a casual interview session where Big Papi cracked a Joke on A-Rod’s World Series Ring and expressed his desire to have his best friend on the same team to fulfill his 5 more World Series dream come true.
David Ortiz Joked About Having Alex Rodriguez on Red Sox
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The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees rivalry is legendary and going on for decades. While all the players of these two teams played their parts in the rivalry, these two legends were no exception. Rodriguez and Ortiz used to be aggressive rivals in their professional fields, but they share a different bond otherwise. Once during an interview, while the 2009 World Series Champion was talking about his World Series experience, the Red Sox Designated Hitter, cracked a joke saying, “I feel bad about it because I feel like I wasted winning like five more.”
Though it was a casual statement and everyone laughed, it revealed the respect he has for his friend as a player. The Red Sox legend has 3x World Series Championships in his credit, while the Yankees legend has only one. Still, he acknowledged his best friend’s potential and his desire to team up with him. He kept his ego and pride as a rival aside to claim that he could have five more rings if he got A-Rod. The 14x All-Star was also enjoyed this statement with a big smile on the face, revealing the understanding they share.
Read More: Days Before London Assignment, David Ortiz Hurls Scorching Shade at Rival Alex Rodriguez
Players with equally glorious careers often get compared to each other, and these two friends are no exception. Players react differently when faced with these. However, these two legends show a pure friendship that they don’t even get jealous when they are being compared to each other.
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David Ortiz Replied to His Comparison with Alex Rodriguez
These two former baseball legends share a bond that they don’t even care for what the world calls them. However, when Big Papi was asked about him compared with A-Rod, he, in a Podcast, replied casually, saying, “People always want to be comparing, ?Ah, David Ortiz has to be like Alex Rodriguez?. Why can?t Alex Rodriguez be like me?? Also, he denied the conception of comparing someone with another, saying that even all five fingers are not equal.
However, sometimes when he gets the chance, he doesn’t hesitate to tease his long rival cum friend. Once, he teased him by mentioning that he is a Hall of Famer, but A-Rod missed the chance.
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What do you think of the friendship of Ortiz and A-Rod? Share your opinion in the comments.
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